Similarities?

In his article (Editorial Pages, April 8), "Which Way Will Gorbachev Go?" columnist Ernest Conine makes a couple of statements about the Soviet economy that future history books may very well offer as descriptive of our federal government: "The traditional Soviet approach to economic development featured lopsided investment in heavy industry and the military-industrial complex (financed by a systematic squeeze on workers, consumers and farmers) and a run-everything-from-Moscow style of economic management."

The Soviet leader "has publicly indicated that making the economy perform more efficiently is far and away his No. 1 priority. So far, though, there is no evidence that he is really willing or able to undertake the sort of sweeping reforms that cannot occur without serious injury to the power and privileges of the ruling elite and the huge and cumbersome bureaucracy."